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Your advertising agency's future depends on your ability to adapt to consumers' changing media use habits and clients' more conservative advertising budgets. IBIS World, a research firm reporting on advertising trends through 2012, projected that ad agencies would retool their media mixes to meet these challenges. Coupons, flyers and other affordable direct mail materials will gain prominence along with mobile-based messages. IBIS World forecasts that businesses will also revisit radio and television.

Market Expertise

Your agency's knowledge of your clients' target markets, along with economic trends affecting each client's business, provides you with information you need to create effective advertising campaigns. Your regional advertising firm is better positioned to serve nearby clients compared to a national agency that uses telephone and email communications to service accounts. For example, your keen familiarity with your city's restaurant landscape enables you to help a restaurant client stand out against the blur of competitive eateries.

Client Knowledge

Understanding each client's business goals, operational constraints and potential customers' needs and wants enables you to see an advertising opportunity from your client's perspective. Once you adopt that view, you'll be better able to develop a campaign that appeals to those customers. Clearly written, graphics-rich ads will help communicate your client's message if you avoid the excessive wordiness and visual clutter that often make readers skip the ads entirely.

Media Selection

Set the stage for successful advertising campaigns by placing well-crafted ads in the appropriate media for that market and message. For example, schedule your garden center client's television ads during a wildly popular local gardening show. Reach a young professional audience by placing a coffee bar's ad on local social media pages. When your media choices provide positive results, your satisfied clients are more likely to provide referrals that help increase your client list and revenues.

Technology-Savvy Staff

Developing and executing a successful ad campaign never happens by accident. You'll need a top-notch agency staff with specific knowledge bases and expertise in specialty technologies. If your agency specializes in Internet advertising and video production, for example, recruit professionals who excel at that demanding work. If you represent hospitality firms, include seasoned hotel and leisure experts on your account executive team. Taking the time to build your staff provides your agency with the credibility you need to grow your client base.

About the Author

Based in North Carolina, Felicia Greene has written professionally since 1986. Greene edited sailing-related newsletters and designed marketing programs for the New Bern, N.C. "Sun Journal" and New Bern Habitat ReStore. She earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Baltimore.